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I love the summer sun & the vacations that come with it, but training for races is no joke in the hot heat of the summer! Here are tips and tricks to stay cool this summer.

Stay Hydrated

This is something I am still learning to this day. Some days I will be really on top of drinking water and than others I barely reach for my water bottle. Lately I’ve been bringing my water bottle everywhere with me (in the car, to work, by my bed, etc.) which has definitely been helping me drink more water as the weather gets warmer!

Use Sunscreen

I often forget this one as well! We are all used to bringing sunscreen on beach trips or when we go on vacation but how many of us actually remember to put it on while out on our daily runs? Putting a bottle of sunscreen by the front door or with your running shoes is a great way to remember to use it before your outside activities!

Plan Your Training Accordingly to the Weather

If you aren’t an early morning runner you may turn into one during the heat of the summer! In the past few weeks the temperatures have spiked here in South Carolina and I am finding it harder and harder to get out in the afternoon with the dog. We’ve been trying to go out in the morning but mostly in the evening after the sun sets is when I’ll take the dog on a walk to get her out. It also helps to have that gym membership where I can train indoors!! 🙂

Dress for the Heat

If I decide to go on an early morning run I typically look up the weather the night before and go ahead and pick out my running gear. I’ve turned to this site from Runner’s World a few times when I have big races and debate wearing that t-shirt or tank top, those capris or shorts. Click HERE and see what outfit it suggests for you today!

Keep your Chin Up!

Training in the summer heat can be not only exhausting on your mind but your body as well. Plan for a slower pace and a shorter distance! Though you may be training for a number of upcoming races, take your time training in the summer months! Take it slow and be patient!

It’s hard to stay in shape in the summer but it’s totally acheivable by following these few guidelines! Happy Training!

In all the commotion of our busy schedules here, I never did update on our week vacation to the Bahamas about a month ago! We had a great deal to a resort in Freeport so we took advantage of it during Spring Break and had an absolute blast!

One of my favorite parts of traveling are trying new foods and we got to try some amazing new *vegetarian* dishes while we were down there! On our first night in Freeport my wife, daughter, and I took a ferry into town and ate at a Greek restuarnt. I ordered an AMAZING falafel gyro that I couldn’t finish in one sitting, but it was just as good as a midnight snack!

We had a suite room that included a kitchenette so we went to the grocery store and bought Bohemian rum and some juice so we could make our own drinks all week long. My wife made an amazing drink with mango Bohemian rum and hurricane juice (much like our fruit punch) that we drank sipped on all week.

A few days later my wife and I went back into town and went back to the Greek restuarnt to the bakery section to have a traditional Bohemian coffee and some delicious treats! The Bohemian coffee had coconut rum, coffee, and whipped cream which was really strong for 10am but I’m glad I tried it! Our treats included vanilla biscuits with vanilla creme & a vanilla, strawberry jello like treat with a strawberry topping. It was all good but very filling, we had to bring some back to our room but I guarentee they were all gone by the next day!

One night our resort had a Bohemian Night which consisted of traditional Bohemian dancing and tastings of wine and some food from the Bahamas. Our sample plate consisted of pineapple upside down cake, rum cake, guava cake, and a coconut caramel snack. I was really excited about the pineapple upside down cake and thought that was going to be my favorite dish but I actually like the coconut caramel snack the best!

One of the things I really wanted to do while in the Bahamas was drink out of a real coconut. The first few days we looked for a booth that sold them but we had no such luck BUT we did run into another guest at our resort who told us that if you find the maintenance man by the pool early in the morning and tell him you want a fresh coconut he will try and find some to cut down for you. My wife went down by the pool early one morning and asked him for a few coconuts and just an hour later we heard a knock on our door. The maintenance man had found FOUR fresh coconuts for us and chucked them open for us! We sipped on those all week!! I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would but I’m glad I tried it!

I am excited to share I have signed up for another (and new for me) 5k and half marathon! In November I will be running the Rock ‘n Roll Las Vegas 5k and half marathon and I am super excited to cross another state off of my list!

I went to Las Vegas for the first time two years ago and really enjoyed it for a first time there. I went in August when it was super humid so I’m excited to be going in November where, hopefully, the weather will be a little cooler and easier to manage while running!

We are considering this trip a Girl’s Trip because my wife, mom, and two of my many cousins are traveling up for the weekend to run part’s of the weekends events. The 5k is Saturday morning and the half marathon is Sunday evening, my first half marathon evening run! I will have to start training more in the evening in preparation for this evening run but I think with the motivation of my family with me I will do great!

What’s your advice for an evening run? What are must see things to do in Las Vegas?

I recently became a member of a gym for the first time in my life! Since I was in college I’ve had thoughts about joining a gym but there always seemed to be something that held me back. Joining the near by gym about a month ago has been amazing for me!!

Thinking about joining a gym? Here are some benefits to having a gym membership and what it means to me!

Find support and encouragement in other members

On the first day I went to the gym I met a gentlemen who stopped me to ask me about the KT tape on my knee which led to a 20 minute conversation about his past in the Navy, marathon running, and training tips and tricks. I’m not normally the type of person to sit and talk to strangers but I loved taking the time to talk to other members while stretching after my workout!

2.Find your place at the gym

I joined the gym with the thought of running the treadmill so many times a week and than swimming the laps along with the swim scheduale. In the last month of being a member I have found that I do enjoy the treadmill BUT I have found interest in the stationary bike and the eliptical as well! I haven’t quite made it as far as the pool yet!

Fitness classes

Our gym is great and offers different classes to give there members a variety of training! I’ve done a spinning class before which was hard (especially for someone who had never done a spin class before) but I highly enjoyed it! I have goals of joining a zumba class soon, that’s one of my favorite cross fitness courses!

Flexible Hours

I would highly encourage a new member to check out the hours of there gym! Upon joining our gym I knew they were not open 24/7 like many other gyms, but they do open early enough I can go after work in the morning or go late in the evening if I want to get in a good workout right before bed. Our lap swim hours are only in the wee hours of the morning and our fitness classes are mainly in the mid morning which is all good to know as a new member!

Maintain Health and Fitness Goals.

I have many health and fitness goals and I have found that by having a gym membership it MAKES me go to the gym, afterall I want to make sure I am getting the most out of this membership! I’ve also found that working out makes me want to eat healthier! When I come home from the gym I find myself grabbing healthy snacks and making smoothies which is a better alternative!

I have highly enjoyed having a membership to a gym for many reasons and I would recomend it to anyone serious to getting fit and healthy!

Sunday morning was our long awaited Half Marathon here in Raleigh, not to mention my wife’s very FIRST half marathon!! The weeks leading up to the race she was so nervous and had mixed feelings about it, but she kept telling me, “I’m going to finish” and with that attitude I knew she would be alright!

Pre Race

The temperatures on race day were probably in the 50’s so not freezing, but cool enough for a light jacket. Mom and Dad opted for the throw away kind (a surgical scrub top cover and a trash bag) which worked amazingly!

The race started at 7am and we crossed the start line at 7:17am, I would have to say that is probably the quickest we have ever crossed the start line at a Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon!

This was Danielle’s first half marathon so we stuck together and encouraged each other while Mom and Dad went ahead. We decided to jog on the flatter and down hill parts of the course and take it a little slower during the dreaded uphills of downtown.

We kept a pretty steady speed for the first nine miles and than had to slow down because the hills started getting the best of us. Danielle & I kept telling ourselves “just one foot in front of the other”, that seemed to be our motto from mile nine to the finish line!

Around mile ten there was a huge board from Humana that read #StartWithHealthy that looked really familiar. I realized that board was at the expo and a lady from the company asked me to participate and write down, “What inspires you to be healthy?”. I took a good look at the board and my sticky note was on it!! I wrote, ‘To be the best version of myself that I can’. That was an exciting surprise and definely pushed me to finish the race strong!

Before we knew it, we were at mile 11 and so close to the finish! This is where some of the steapest hills were so we really had to push hard and tell each other, “We can do this!”

Mom and Dad finished about 20 minutes before us and cheered us on as we crossed the finish line! We all made our way to the Red Hat Amphatheatre to claim our extra medal for completing both the 5k and half marathon!

This is the fourth year Mom, Dad, and I have completed the Rock ‘n Roll Raleigh Half Marathon and I feel it just gets better and better each year!